


Creed Hall

by xikra1648



Category: Assassin's Creed - All Media Types
Genre: Action, Additional Characters to be added, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Comedy, Drunken Shenanigans, Eventual Smut, F/M, Hijinks & Shenanigans, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Other Ships Not Mentioned in Tags, Romance, Those Other Ships Are Not Confirmed
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-29
Updated: 2017-05-02
Packaged: 2018-09-13 01:07:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,633
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9099634
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xikra1648/pseuds/xikra1648
Summary: Assassins were struggling in the 21st Century, and making sure the next generation of Assassins were safe was one of the top priorities, hence why the Assassin's made sure they had placed themselves inside any University that would join their cause.  Years after leaving your family behind to follow your half-brother into the Brotherhood, you find yourself in Creed Hall living with your fellow future leaders of the Brotherhood.
After meeting them, you can't believe you ever thought Professor Auditore was the strangest character you'd ever meet.





	1. The Inhabitants

**Author's Note:**

> So this is my first Reader Insert that isn't a wide-open one-shot booklet. At first this is probably going to feel more like a one-shot booklet but there will be a set plot after the bases have been laid down. This actually started as an OC insert before I decided to try my hand with a reader insert like this, considering I read a lot of them. I did decide to leave it in third-person just because I feel like I write better as a 'know-it-all narrator.'

# Chapter One

### The Inhabitants

 

The Assassins didn’t have the grip on the world that they used to have, though they had a few allies that were loyal to a fault and in desperate times such as the 21st Century, that is exactly what the Assassins needed.  A few of those allies were universities and colleges, albeit small ones, where young Assassins could continue their education while continuing their advanced training and even complete missions.  Though, because of how the dominoes of history fell most of these colleges were in the US, which was precisely how so many Assassins from Europe ended up in the US.

Boston was a large city with multiple colleges, both large and small, and it was also close to the historical Homestead where some of the best Assassins in history received their training.  Having both been born and raised in Boston, it made sense for Connor and [Y/N] to attend college there.  Connor was entering his senior year of his Cultural History degree, and thus the oldest in the Creed’s dormitory on their college campus.  [Y/N] felt marginally bad for her introverted half-brother, being forced to babysit and keep an eye on the few Assassins living in the co-ed dorm.  She only felt marginally bad because she was entering her freshman year of college and her first year of advanced training; she had her own problems to deal with.  On the plus side it was a single suite dorm with boys living on the second floor and girls living on the third floor, giving everyone their own room even if they had to share a bathroom with everyone else on their floor.

Connor wasn’t completely alone, obviously his baby sister (half-sister or not) would be there but so would long-time friend Henry Green, an assassin in his Junior year of his Ancient History degree.  There would be two more Assassins joining them, both from England, just as Ezio would be nearby to keep a close eye on them all even when he wasn’t training them or Altiar wasn’t giving them missions.  Arno had graduated the year before, which was why Connor was in charge of the dorm now, but it was unlikely he would stay gone forever.  [Y/N] would be surprised if he didn’t visit before the semester officially began.

[Y/N] had moved into Creed Hall early, an exception being made when she was in High School due to having nowhere else to go.  She was reading in the first floor lounge when the newbies arrived.  Connor kept his cool but [Y/N] knew her brother, she knew he was panicked.  He wasn’t a people person to begin with and now he was responsible for two people he didn’t even know, one he did know, and his baby sister who was bound to snap someone’s neck and cover up the evidence before anyone even noticed.

It was going to be a disaster and Connor didn’t know if he was grateful Arno wasn’t there or if he wished Arno was the one dealing with it.

 

The twins rode a taxi from the airport to Creed Hall and Evie was sure to sternly nag Jacob to behave himself when they got there.  It was something like that anyway, Jacob got distracted when they passed the most gorgeous blond jogging down the sidewalk.  He turned around to get another glimpse of the woman, her [H/C] hair tied back into a low ponytail with chin-length strands framing her face.  Her skin was covered in a faint sheen of sweat and it didn’t help that the black low-rise yoga pants she wore left just as much to the imagination as the white crop-top that hung off of one of her shoulders.

“Jacob!” Evie snapped, and Jacob turned to look back at his sister to feign innocence.

“What?”

Evie sighed and shook her head.

The taxi parked outside the dorm and as they pulled their things out of the cab, the Frye twins looked at the building they would be living in.  It was a three-story pre-war red brick building and looked like it had a deep enough basement for them to train in.  As Evie and Jacob were left lifting their things out of the taxi, he saw the girl again.  Jacob stopped to get a better look before he noticed she was slowing down and pulling one of her earbuds out.

“Hey, I’m [Y/N] Kenway, the other freshman,” she introduced herself before taking a bag and box she could carry inside as she led the two inside, “Connor’s the RA, he’s an introvert but he’s a good leader in his own way.  Henry lives here too, he’s not as introverted as my brother but he’s still an oddball.  Then again nobody here is exactly _normal._ ”

“That’s one way to put it,” Jacob agreed wholeheartedly as he admired the girl.  She was thin and fit, a result of her life as an Assassin, and she couldn’t have been over five foot three.  Gods she was sinfully perfect.  He felt his sister glaring at him but he ignored her, how could he _not_ check out the little angel in front of them?  God, he could lift her over his head.

“Connor is your brother?” Evie asked.

“Half-brother on our dad’s side but he’s the only family I’ve got, long story,” [Y/N] brushed it off before exclaiming up the stairs, “Connor!  Henry!  The twins are here!”

When [Y/N] pulled away to show Evie her room and help her unpack, Connor and Henry noticed the way Jacob watched [Y/N] walk away.

“She will kill you,” Henry warned, “She will kill you slowly, without a second thought.”

She would, too.  It was a fact that only made Connor proud.

Connor wasn’t going to stop her.  Hell, he’d offer to help her hide the body if he didn’t know she’d already have it taken care of.


	2. Breakfast and Buses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was the first day of classes, and Evie had been so busy unpacking that she hadn't taken a good look at the transit system to campus. Luckily, you were there to help her and her brother find their way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to go with a fictional college instead of one that actually exists. It's easier to set things up as I need them that way.

# Chapter Two

### Breakfast and Buses

 

First day of the semester, and the Frye twins had no idea how to get to their classes.

Alright, that wasn’t entirely true.  They knew their way around the campus, but Creed Hall was located only a short walk away from the Old South Meeting House, the site of the Boston Tea Party, while the college was closer to Bunker Hill, located between Bunker Hill Community College and Cambridge.  It wasn’t a long journey, but Evie hadn’t done nearly as much research into the bus system as she wanted to.  Despite nearly frantically trying to figure out the bus schedule, she looked as well-collected as usual, only the collar of her white blouse was left unbuttoned and her dark skinny jeans were crisp and neat like her black blazer to shelter her from the chill of fall in Boston, and her black flats were worn in but still looked neat.

[Y/N] caught the other girl in Creed Hall looking over the bus schedules and a map as she dropped her black backpack onto the table before offering, “You want some help getting to class?”

“Yes, please,” Evie smiled, relieved, “I haven’t looked into the bus schedules nearly as much as I wanted before today.”

“Don’t worry about it, it takes getting used to anyway,” [Y/N] replied lightly as she poured coffee into her aqua blue travel mug and added a touch of caramel creamer before mixing it in and twisting on the black lid, “Connor would have stuck around to help out but he had to leave early, poor sucker’s Professor Auditore’s TA on top of everything else.”

“You two seem close,” Evie observed, trying to get to know the other girl better, “You said he’s the only family you have left?”

“Our father’s still alive but we’re not exactly on speaking terms with him,” [Y/N] explained briefly.  The truth was far more complicated than that, involving [Y/N] leaving her Templar upbringing at 16, almost 17, for the freedom offered by the Creed, multiple assassination attempts on each other and the never-ending battle between Assassins and Templars becoming far more personal for the half-siblings and their father.  They found shelter at the Davenport Homestead with old Achilles but after he passed, Connor and [Y/N] really were left with no-one but each other.

“What about you and Jacob?  You’re twins right?” [Y/N] asked, changing the subject before they got too deep into her family issues.

“Yes, but I doubt we could be more different.  He’s brash and tends to rush into his assignments with a brawl in mind while I’d rather keep to the shadows,” Evie sighed as she answered honestly.

"So?  It’s the same with me and Connor, though you could probably tell that by the fact he’s a _bear_ and I’m more like the squirrel that rides on the bear’s head...” {Y/N] replied lightheartedly, earning a light chuckle from Evie.

“That is true; if I didn’t know better I’d assume you have the same last name by _coincidence_ ,” Evie admitted, “We are close, though I think that has a lot to do with the fact we’ve done practically everything together since we were children.”

“Not by choice,” Jacob interjected as he walked into the joint kitchen and dining area, pouring himself a cup of coffee and drinking it straight and keeping an eye on the [H/C] girl sitting by his sister and dressed simply in thick black leggings, a black tank-top with ‘BAD’ printed in white lettering, an oversized black and red plaid flannel shirt with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows, black lightweight low-tops, and her long hair was left loose under a black knit cap.  She really was a tiny little thing; stealth, speed, and clever traps were likely the only way she’d survive in the field.  It was adorable, really. 

Jacob caught the small girl eyeing him carefully and felt a flush of overconfident pride flow through him, then he found out why she was eyeing him.  Part of it was simply comparing him to his twin sister and silently agreeing with Evie.  It was obvious they were related, but Jacob wasn’t nearly as put together as his sister.  His low-hanging jeans were worn and about to rip in some places, the graphic on his old black band t-shirt was faded, and his black combat boots and leather jacket had clearly seen better days.  His hair was brushed back but loose strands still found their way to his face, and he clearly hadn’t shaved, which brought something go [Y/N]’s attention.

“I never noticed you have _two_ scars before,” [Y/N] observed as she eyed the scar in Jacob’s brow and left cheek, “You’re a _junior_ Assassin, how in the hell did you manage to get those?”

“High school ends a year earlier in England than it does here, so we spent that time doing odd jobs for the Brotherhood in Crawley,” Evie explained briefly.  There was more to it than that, much more, considering the Crawley Brotherhood was small and focused almost entirely on training younger Assassins and protecting the Assassins who had retired and been moved there. 

“Jacob, where are your books?” Evie asked as she picked up her black messenger bag and noticed her brother was carrying nothing with him.

“It’s the first day of class, I’m not going to need anything,” Jacob retorted.

Evie was going to scold her brother until he made his way back up to his room and grabbed his things but [Y/N] intervened, “Let him crash and burn, it’s funnier that way.”

 

[Y/N] led the twins to the bus stop and held onto one of the straps as she stood on the bus, keeping an eye out.  The Assassins had control of Boston, for the most part, after they recovered from their losses just before the Revolutionary war.  Still, [Y/N] knew better than to assume that the Templars weren’t nearby, or that they wouldn’t attempt to strike.  Just because the chances of an attack were slim didn’t mean she didn’t want to remain on guard.  She’d rather be paranoid than unprepared for an attack.

Doubtless she was a Templar target and while the Assassins had control of Boston they didn’t have the resources of Abstergo at their side.

“Were you raised in Boston?” Jacob asked, noticing the girl knew the city quite well.

“Not really, I was born here but I moved around a lot as a kid, only settled down back in Boston about two years ago,” she answered.

“Where have you been?” Evie asked, sitting in front of her twin and dorm mate with her bag on her lap.

“All over Massachusetts, Virginia, Pennsylvania, spent some time in Florida and California, Italy, Egypt, Spain, England, Australia, China,” [Y/N] listed off, careful not to name the exact locations she had lived in.  If they knew she had lived only seconds away from the Vatican or in the center of London they would have grown suspicious, Templars were so deeply tangled into those areas that the Assassins didn’t even dare to approach.

“Wow, and you decided to settle down in _Boston_?” Jacob questioned, “Why not Florence or Sydney?”

“My brother’s here,” [Y/N] shrugged, “And they desperately needed an infiltrator, Connor, Henry, and Arno can’t even slip their way through a _basic_ laser grid let alone the ones we’ll need to be going through.”

“ _Excellent_ , I was afraid I’d be the only infiltrator.”  Evie was pleasantly surprised to discover that, when they were finally allowed on missions of their own, the infiltration itself wasn’t up to her alone.

“Evie, she’s _tiny_ ,” Jacob pointed out and stressed his point by leaning his elbow on top of [Y/N]’s head, “You really think she could be anything else but a stealth specialist?”

“Size aside, I like to think I’m smarter than rushing into a fight and getting myself two scars on my _face_ before I’m _nineteen_ ,” [Y/N] countered, shifting her angry [E/C] eyes shifting to glare at Jacob from the corner of her eyes.  If it weren’t for that little pout, Jacob might have been intimidated.

“I had my reasons.”

“I’m assuming stupidity was the main one.”  Sure, they had only known each other for a matter of days but [Y/N] was given the impression that Jacob wasn’t the brightest bulb in the socket (a sad fact considering you can only fit a single bulb in a socket).

Evie smirked and snickered, “I’ve a feeling we’re going to be good friends.”

 


	3. The Little Kitten And The Strong Eagle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You were making due with your brand new friends, you'd grow to be close fairly quickly based on your experience, but you couldn't help but miss your best friend: Arno Dorian.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Minette is the feminine form of a French nickname meaning "little kitty." There is a story behind that nickname but I decided to add it later.
> 
> Also, I know there's a lot of the Reader's background in here but trust me, there's still a lot of details that I left out so prepare for some of those plot twists.
> 
> Finally, I would like to apologize for the set-up taking so long but what I have planned is fairly complicated and I decided to go with a bunch of shorter chapters instead of one rambling chapter. It's easier for me to write and I find them easier to read that way as well.

# Chapter Three

### The Little Kitten And The Strong Eagle

 

Sitting in their afternoon World History class, Jacob understood what [Y/N] meant when she said it would be funnier if he didn’t bring his books.  Professor Auditore noticed immediately and clocked Jacob in the forehead with one of his whiteboard markers, with the cap _off_ , and now Jacob had a blue smudge on his forehead that he just couldn’t get off.  While Evie kept her giggles reserved, [Y/N] flat out cackled.

Still, that was the most eventful part of the first day of classes.  It was about three in the afternoon when they were on their way back to the dorm and [Y/N] made her way to a small café.  It had been a bit of a habitual thing after she moved into Creed Hall.  Connor had doubled up on his classes after taking a term off, being trapped in a personal battle between Haytham before [Y/N] returned to the states after a year in London.  It was worth taking that term off, after years of struggling with the burden of fighting each other, whatever happened in London and the sight of her father about to kill her brother was enough to make [Y/N] fully grasp her own morals and values and break away from the Templars.  Still, as a result the high school senior was left to adapt to life in Creed Hall alone.

So, as the RN and all around nice guy, Arno put forward an extra effort to help the young girl.  It started out as a casual outing after Arno made sure the girl got off of the bus safely, unnecessary considering her training and extensive experience that outmatched the boys in the dorm, but he didn’t know that.  It didn’t help that every time he took her to the small café she ordered hot chocolate and a cookie. 

As far as everyone else knew, [Y/N] was a small infiltration specialist, Connor’s half-sister, and just as orphaned as her brother.  The other junior Assassins didn’t even know Connor and [Y/N]’s father was Templar Grand Master and former Assassin, but Ezio and Altair were well aware.  However, Altair was the only one in the order aware of [Y/N]’s former career, with the exception of her brother.  He knew that the decisions of those who made you don’t define you, and with his wife Maria he was well experienced with Templars joining the Assassins.

It was nice, nobody knowing the truth, and while [Y/N] had to be careful what she said it was nice not having to worry about the others expecting her to stab them in the back.  Though over time she did begin to learn more about Arno, his father had been killed by an Assassin that turned Templar, and the young boy had been taken in by a Templar and his daughter Elise.  Later [Y/N] learned about Arno’s personal struggles with the war between the Assassins and Templars as a result of his feelings for Elise, and broke her number one rule.

_Don’t tell anybody the truth._

Arno nodded and listened intently and though it was obvious there were many details that [Y/N] was leaving out, it was also clear that she had once acted against the Assassins before betraying her own father for what she believed was right.  The two became close after that, sharing guilt over similar experiences and despite the age difference between the high schooler and the college senior.  That was what made the unexpected reunion all the better.

“ _Minette_ ,” Arno called out, teasingly, when he saw [Y/N] step into the café, and the girl’s head turned to pin down the only person gutsy enough to call her such an irritatingly cute nickname.

“Just for that, I’m ignoring you,” [Y/N] sassed only seconds before Arno held out a small plate with a cookie.  She should have known the damn bastard was expecting her.  She stared at him silently, her lips in a firm line as if considering her options, before sitting at the table by the window that Arno had selected for them, and the twins who were still finding their bearings in the city, and taking the cookie.

“You’re still not getting a hug.”

“Yes, yes, I know.  You’re small and fearsome,” Arno retorted before looking across the table at the Frye twins, “I take it you’re Jacob and Evie.  Arno Dorian, I used to live in the dorm.  I volunteered to help train the rest of you.”

“What about Ezio?”

“As I recall, he said something to Altair about ‘getting too damn old to be babysitting a bunch of college idiots,’” Arno explained, “To be fair, he is a brand new dad and has his own missions.”

“I’m getting the distinct feeling that we’re training tonight,” [Y/N] eyed her friend out of the corner of her eye.

“You are,” Arno replied with a teasing smile.

“You graduated last year, correct?” Evie asked, curious as always and silently observing [Y/N] and Arno.  The two were obviously close, even keeping in mind the fact that [Y/N] moved into the dorm while she was in high school.  Evie knew she couldn’t just up and ask, not when she had just met the two of them, but she couldn’t help but be curious.  She _knew_ Jacob was curious, what with his instant attraction to [Y/N], but luckily her idiot brother didn’t have much in mind except the occasional shag with the small Assassin.  If there was something else between [Y/N] and Arno, Jacob would move on and forget all about it.

He wasn’t a _complete_ lout after all.

“Yes, I was the team leader before I graduated and with Ezio spending more time at home, Altair decided I was the best option to train the new team and pick your missions when you’re mission ready,” Arno explained casually, sitting back with his hand on his coffee cup and his arm draped across the back of [Y/N]’s seat, “The team’s large enough that it might get split up into smaller teams from time-to-time.”

“That sounds fun,” Jacob replied with his usual sarcastic enthusiasm.

“Oh, it’s just fascinating,” Arno replied as he got up, the other three following as they all made their way to the dorm.  Arno spun the key to the training room in the basement around his finger as he told his new students to get upstairs and change before making his way to the back of the first floor and unlocked the door to the renovated basement.  This was his first time training _anyone_ , let alone an entire team.

This was going to be interesting, far more interesting than any of them expected.


	4. Training

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Training had always been an eventful time for the members of Creed Hall, but with rising numbers it was time for them to become more active. There were very specific plans for them now, but they needed to know more before anything could be done.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I live!!
> 
> Sorry guys, I've been tied up with Say Something then there's planning the sequal for Say Something, and now I started another Assassin's Creed (Syndicate) story (it's my absolute favorite). Between that and school (my math class is kicking my ass) it's been pretty busy.

# Chapter Four

### Training

 

It wasn’t just a habit, it was good common sense that made [Y/N] stretch before training.  Hell, it was training 101.  Of course, being as flexible as she was meant her stretches were a tad…different.  Not bad different, especially if you Jacob Frye and Arno Dorian watching as the American girl clad in knee-length black yoga pants and a black tank-top slowly bent backwards, planted her hands on the ground, and slowly flipping over, one foot at a time.  The half-hour lecture Evie had given Jacob, not even 30 _seconds_ ago, about not ogling [Y/N] was _gone_.

“Doesn’t matter how many times I see it,” Arno spoke as he and Jacob made sure to watch from a distance and speak low, “Seeing just how flexible she is, it’s always so- _oh my god_ , how is that even humanly possible?”

“Does it matter?” Jacob replied as the Assassin’s tilted their heads to the side to get a better view of [Y/N], specifically her ass.

God bless yoga pants.

“No…I suppose it doesn’t…” Arno agreed, before adding, “We should stop before Connor comes in, he’ll kill us…literally.”

“Yeah, but it would be worth it,” Jacob replied as he stepped forward, off the basement stairs, and into the large refurbished basement.  He threw his old black hoodie onto one of the old wooden chairs lining the wall by the doorway.  As [Y/N] stood back up she eyed Jacob as he reached up to grab one of the pullup bars before putting it to effective use until the others filed into the basement gym and Arno announced the plan.  [Y/N] wasn’t an idiot, she didn’t become the Templar’s deadliest agent since Shay Cormac without learning to tell when she was being watched.  It was harmless enough, as reckless and immature as Jacob was he wasn’t a _bad_ guy.  He just wanted people to _think_ he was.  Besides, it was nice to be checked out by guys who weren’t going to let out cat calls, call her _mami_ , or just yell _nice ass_ like she’s a piece of walking meat.

No, she’d take some wide eyes and appreciative whispers with glee, though she’d have to pretend she didn’t know if it were to continue.  Sure, she was well-trained and highly dangerous, but even she could fall to low self-esteem.

[Y/N] picked up her water bottle and took a quick swig as she sat on one of the chairs, waiting for the others as they filed downstairs. 

“Most of us have already gone on missions together and know our strengths and weaknesses, which just leaves the Frye twins,” Arno announced, looking directly at the newest members of Creed Hall, “I’ve seen your files, it seems fairly straightforward, but if there’s one thing I’ve learned it’s that there’s half a million types of infiltrators and even more types of brawlers.”

“Oh, god no,” [Y/N] cut in, “You’re planning something aren’t you?”

“That _is_ my job,” Arno retorted.

“That’s also what almost got us all _killed_ last time,” Henry pointed out.

“No, you getting _kidnapped_ out of the _secure van_ is what almost got us killed last time,” Connor corrected, “Arno’s rescue plan almost got us _all_ captured.”

“Ezio never should have let us take off on our own…” [Y/N] commented thoughtfully, “Where the hell was he?”

“His honeymoon, now-“ Arno attempted to continue.

“He didn’t just pawn you off on Altair?” Jacob questioned.

“Altair was, and I quote, _too old for this shit_ ,” Conner answered, implying he already asked.

_"Silence enfants!”_ Arno snapped in French, triggering everyone else to silence.  He eyed them carefully to make sure they were going to remain quiet before continuing, “I assumed there are going to be a few differences.  The _obvious_ answer would be to throw you into a ring and make you fight each other but that’s just ridiculous and playing trust games or spending a night getting to know each other is just childish.”

“There’s not much left after that,” Jacob pointed out.

“Not much, but you’d be surprised what some simple free running around town can tell you about a person,” Arno replied, “The goal is to free run from here to the campus and back, I’ll be tagging along and before you ask _yes_ this is a group exercise for _everyone._ ”

After a torrid of disgruntled groans, the junior Assassin’s made their way up the stairs and to the roof of Creed Hall, stopping to grab sweaters and hoodies on their way up.  A chill had taken over the early fall air, as was typical of Boston this time of year, and some of them even stopped to grab hair ties.  Connor struggled with tying his hair back before relenting and letting [Y/N] do it for him.

“Is training normally this…um…” Evie searched for the right words to use.

“Disorganized?” Henry finished before answering, “More or less.  There are no set forms of training within the Assassin’s and to make matters more complicated we all received wildly different training.  I was trained in India, where we do not kill our targets.  Connor was trained with his mother’s tribe and at Davenport Manor, far removed from society.  Arno trained in France, surrounded by the upper class while I expect you and Jacob spent much of your time on the streets of London.  As for [Y/N]…her training took her all over the world.  We’ve had to improvise in order to make the best of our training.”

“It sounds like most of you have already been working together for some time,” Evie pointed out.

“Two years now, we were in desperate need of an infiltrator and Altair pushed for [Y/N] to be allowed to join.  We were concerned, even though Connor was not, until she got us inside an Abstergo laboratory we’d been struggling to get into for months,” Henry reminisced before adding, “I imagine together the two of you would be able to break into any building you wished.”

“I’m sure you’re exaggerating,” Evie smiled shyly.

“Yes, please, Greenie, stop,” Jacob cut in.  He did _not_ want to be witness to his sister being hit on.  Evie shot him a glare, but she’d shot him so many over their lifetime that by the time they were _four_ he could brush them off without a care.

“Alright, you’ll see Ezio waiting for you on the roof of the university library.  Get there any way you can, as long as you’re free running.  There will be no catching the bus or a cab, and _no_ you cannot catch a ride on _top_ of the bus either.”

“Dammit,” [Y/N] cursed.  So much for the easy way out.

“Now, let’s go!  Ezio is waiting!”

 

Arno had expected to learn a lot from this little activity, after Altair had suggested it, but he didn’t know just how _much_ he would learn.  [Y/N] was by far the fastest, but she was easily the most acrobatic and easily made jumps that the others didn’t even dare to try.  The Frye twins were close behind her, though Jacob was noticeably faster than his sister even if entirely because of a reckless abandon coupled with what Arno could only call natural talent.  Evie was far more calculated, a bit too much at times, but never found herself taking risky jumps only to have to climb up to the roof or balcony she was aiming for.  Henry was by far the clumsiest of the group, most of his free running just consisted of _sprinting_ , but that was nothing new.  Henry had never been much for field work, but he had a way of gathering contacts and information that made him absolutely invaluable and nearly negated the need for stake outs.  Connor was more careful than the others, a result of learning to run in the forest where branches would fall out from underneath you, but Arno noticed he would also stay back to make sure everyone else was making their way to the University.

He could already see how the junior Assassins could be split up into two teams but it was…well…

He’d have to check with Ezio and Altair before he did anything.  There was no way this was going to go well if he didn’t explain himself first…


	5. The Pieces Are Set

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arno was pleasantly surprised at how well things were going, he had been told to split the members of Creed Hall into smaller strike teams and he was able to do just that by putting the junior Assassins through a long-distance jog (or the Assassin equivalent at any rate). Still, he had some concerns...they all did, to be honest.
> 
> Of course, they wouldn't have these concerns if it weren't for the secrets they were ordered to keep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys are amazing!!
> 
> Math is going better (B's instead of low to mid C's which makes the perfectionist in me very happy), and that is largely a result of support from my friends and of course you, my lovely readers. Seriously, you guys are great and make writing so much more fun than it already is.
> 
> That being said, this was going to be more of a filler chapter, simply setting up the small strike teams, explaining why the majority of Creed Hall's residents are from different continents and such, but I got so excited writing I decided to add a little taste of the backstory that got Jacob and Evie in America.

# Chapter Five

### The Pieces Are Set

 

[Y/N] was the first to make it to the library, laughing when she saw the new bracers placed neatly in one of the brown leather briefcases the Assassins used to transport illegal items, each of the new bracers upgraded and fitted for the junior Assassins based on their previous bracers and their performance on previous missions.  She couldn’t help but think of the implication that there were clearly plans of the students in Creed Hall, and she was concerned.  At first glance, the only thing that made Creed Hall special from any other dorm of Assassin college students was the fact that _she_ was there, a Templar defector trained by former Assassins and turned into one of the Templars most dangerous agents by the time she was only 14.  The truth, however, could not be more different.  The Council which led the Creed had been living and hiding in Davenport Manor since the American Revolution.  Hell, old man Achilles had been the Council member to ignore Connor's parentage and train him anyway, as well as back up Altair's decision to recruit [Y/N] into the Assassins despite the fact she was a highly trained Assassin  _killer_.  That being said, the Council liked to keep the junior Assassins they considered to be most promising close by, particularly during the formative years of their career in the Creed, and set them up for greatness.  The best junior Assassins were placed in Creed Hall, their training was closely followed and monitored, and the Council always had a plan.

Everyone did _something_ to get themselves in Creed Hall, something amazing that nobody their age with their experience should have been able to pull off, the only real question was _what_?

Of course, the Council demanded that all the students of Creed Hall keep those accomplishments strictly secret.  It made sense in [Y/N]'s case, the only people who would understand were on the Council or had personal experiences that allowed for such understanding, such as Conner being her brother or Arno being raised by Templars completely clueless to the hidden war that killed his father.  But the others?  They were Assassin's born and raised, pure blooded Assassins if there was such a thing.  Still, there was no reason they couldn't know about Connor's success in finding the first Precurser vault that was still in working condition, or Arno's success in liberating Paris.  [Y/N] accepted she would be lying and spinning tales about herself for the rest of her life, it suited her just fine as she wasn't exactly open and honest about herself to begin with, but there was no reason to force that on everyone else, they were _good people_.

[Y/N] slipped on the thin material, little more than an elbow-length leather glove with the bare-bones of the hidden blade strapped to her forearm, along with some new baubles, such as a sleeping dart launcher and most importantly a grapple hook installed on the back of her bracer.  She pulled it on, secured the bracer, and examined it briefly before she was ready to take off.  Of course, by that time Jacob had landed on the roof, slipped on his bracer, and was ready to take off again.

“You’re not even going to check it out?” [Y/N] questioned, she almost couldn’t believe it.

“I’ll do that as I use it, it’s called learning on the job,” Jacob teased before aiming the grapple hook to a nearby building and letting it pull him upwards to the ledge, where he pulled himself up.  [Y/N] followed suit, but let the line pull her past the edge of the building before letting go, letting her land and roll into a free run seamlessly.  She wasn’t strong, she’d never claim to be, and she didn’t have much in endurance either.  What she did have, however, was speed, precision, and agility.

She caught up with Jacob and blew a raspberry in his direction before launching her grapple at another building and passing the British Assassin as she laughed.  Jacob was naturally competitive and [Y/N] couldn’t help but take up the challenge, especially if she was winning.  The other junior Assassins were close behind, but they weren’t paying much attention to them.  This competition was strictly between Jacob and [Y/N].

When she landed on the roof of Creed hall, before shooting her grapple at the edge of the roof and using it to quickly, but safely, reach the ground [Y/N] officially won the race.  She grinned as she walked into the dorm and right to the kitchen, where she pulled a bottle of water out of the fridge.  She hopped up onto the counter, enjoying her chilled bottle of water as the others filtered in and grabbed their own drinks.

“I don’t remember saying this is a race,” Arno teased.

“Turned into one when _I won_ ,” [Y/N] taunted Jacob with a coy smirk.

“I’ll win next time, love, I promise you that,” Jacob smirked, but only until Connor spoke up in response to Jacob’s pet name for [Y/N].

“Love?” the quiet behemoth of an Assassin questioned.

“It’s just a term of endearment in England, means absolutely nothing,” Jacob reacted quickly, though it seemed to appease Connor, who eyed Jacob carefully before heading to the boys’ shower room.

“For a second there I thought you were going to be my twin _sister_ ,” Evie commented, half teasing and half frightened for her brother’s well-being should he ever succeed in crossing Connor.

“Yeah, did I forget to mention Connor takes his job as my big brother _very_ seriously?” [Y/N] joked, “I’m pretty sure he actually plans for me to die an old spinster…don’t have the heart to tell him I take after our pirate grandfather...”

“ _Pirate_?” Henry questioned, he had _never_ heard about that.

“Yeah…we have a…unique lineage?  Mostly just a long line of Assassins,” [Y/N] explained briefly as she slid off of the counter.  It wasn’t a lie, in fact her entire family had been involved with the Creed in one way or another for generations but while many simply retired to live a civilian life, her father was the first to defect to the Templars.  Still, she didn’t want to stick around in case there were any other questions, something about Jacob Frye made it instinctual for [Y/N] to spill her deepest secrets despite the fact she had been trained to lie, cheat, and spin stories ever since she could talk.  Being completely honest was… _strange_.

She made her way out of the kitchen and upstairs to the girls’ shower room, untying her hair from the messy bun it was tied in as she made her way to the stairs.

Jacob leaned back for an extended view of [Y/N] walking away until Evie snapped at him.

“Jacob!  What did I _just_ tell you?” she snapped, “Were you not listening to me _at all_?”

“Listening to what?” Jacob countered, not bothering to sound clueless as he smirked, knowing it would irritate Evie all the more.  Evie let out a cry of frustration before storming upstairs.  Sometimes her brother was such a _jackass_.

“You live dangerously,” Henry commented, having been simply observing the scene as it unfolded.

“Living _safely_ is no fun,” Jacob explained briefly, and lightheartedly.

“To be fair, he’s likely going to be working with [Y/N],” Arno pointed out, “He’s the only one quick enough to keep up with her and she needs someone to watch her back in a fight.  Evie isn’t as quick but based on her files and even just her free run she’s better in a fight, making up for the fact that Connor happens to find himself in a fight no matter _what_ the plan is.

“Got it all worked out then?” Jacob questioned, pushing down the childish excitement of being, for lack of a better term, [Y/N]’s partner.  They already knew Henry would be in a safe place, feeding the field agents information as they went along and there would be occasions when Arno would tag along but as a full-fledged Assassin, while the inhabitants in Creed Hall were junior Assassins sent after local targets, Arno would have his own missions as well.  For the most part, it would be the two of them out in the field, alone.

“Yes, we’ll be sending Connor and Evie after public targets, especially the criminals the Templars deal with as well as other business partners, they’ll have a lot of targets but it will be fairly easy for them to take care of one a week once they get used to working together.  You and [Y/N] will be dealing with upper level Templars, heavy security, a lot of planning, and one shot at the target before blowing it for the entire Creed for at least a year,” Arno explained.

“Evie said Jacob is more of the run in and start punching type,” Henry pointed out.

“I know, and Connor has the patience to put together a plan, but like I said Jacob’s the only one fast enough to keep up with [Y/N] _at all_ , let alone make up for the fact she can’t fight,” Arno repeated, “He’ll have to grow into it, but he’s our only option-“

“I’m literally _right_ here,” Jacob protested the other two talking about him like he wasn’t there.  They could at least _pretend_ to acknowledge him…of course it didn’t help that Jacob was an attention whore.  Besides, it’s not like he _couldn’t_ prepare for a mission, he’d done it before he’d do it again, but it wasn’t like he could point that out.  The council had ordered that single mission be held in the strictest confidence.

To be fair, that was mostly because Jacob was still a trainee, not even a junior Assassin, and he had acted without their knowledge, let alone permission.  Evie wasn’t even aware of it until she caught Jacob in the final preparations, when Jacob told her either to join up or leave.  This particular target had made things _more_ than personal, and Jacob wasn’t about to let him get away with it, and neither was Evie.

It was a success, but for _multiple_ reasons the twins found themselves out of the U.K. and in the U.S.

“Look, we can’t waste [Y/N]’s skills sending her after literally _anyone_ else and Jacob’s the best partner we’ve got for her.”

“ _Relax_ ,” Jacob cut in as he began to take his leave, stepping backwards with his arms open in a gesture of confidence, “It’s perfectly handled.”

Arno and Henry waited until Jacob left.

Henry looked at Arno and said, “Now I’m even more concerned.”

“Don’t be, worst case scenario we end up helping [Y/N] hide his body.”


	6. Sleepless Nights

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sleepless nights were par for the course for a Templar defector, especially one who knew exactly the kind of people hunting her down. After two years [Y/N] was good at dealing with these sleepless nights, dealing with them alone. This time, however, was different.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was half tempted to title this 'Bonding Time' but stuck with Sleepless Nights. 
> 
> Also, I'm working on the first chapter of a fic that brings all of Syndicate into a Modern!AU (cause I'm obsessed with Modern!Assassins. Actually it was supposed to be set during the actual game timeline then I watched a movie with a main protagonist artist living in her studio and everything changed). It's going to be called 'London Is Waiting' after my favorite song on the Syndicate Soundtrack, so be on the lookout for that eventually.

# Chapter Six

### Sleepless Nights

 

It was another one of _those_ nights.  They happened to everyone, or at least that was what {Y/N] liked to think.  Most of the time the memories never bothered her, even in her dreams.  Still, sometimes they would jump at her all at once.  Sometimes the compartmentalization of her memories would fail her, and she suddenly became so aware of everything she had done, and everything that had been done to her, in such a short period of time.

Tonight, the thought keeping her up was the chance of the Templars’ Assassin Hunter coming after her.  She knew, better than anyone, just how skilled Shay Cormac was.  He was the _only_ other person Haytham Kenway allowed to train his daughter and as skilled as Haytham was, [Y/N] was quickly say that Shay was better.  He had killed many a Templar in his days as an Assassin, and then killed many an Assassin in his service to the Templars.  The mere thought of being hunted by Cormac had kept [Y/N] in the service of the Templars since she was 14, until the events in London that proved to be too much for her to carry and left her thinking her only option was defecting to the Assassins.  Still, even now, she waited for the day that Cormac would track her down.  As a person he wasn’t terrifying, she had thought of him as an uncle, but now that he was the enemy that could be tracking her at any second…

He terrified her.

Back at Davenport Manor she would have picked the locks on the liquor cabinet and snuck back into her room to drink until she fell completely unconscious.  Sadly, that wasn’t an option at Creed hall unless she traversed to one of the many college parties in town.  It was the first week of the fall semester, which meant one thing.

_Massive_ parties to ‘welcome’ the freshmen.

It was only eight o’clock, which meant the parties were just starting to hit their stride and [Y/N] had plenty of time to get ready.  Thankful for the warm night she grabbed her high-waisted worn denim shorts and black crop-top, grabbing an oversized sheer gray button-up and throwing it and a blue scarf on in case she got cold.  She grabbed her black heeled combat boots and tutted as she looked around to find something to complete the outfit, letting out a quiet _ah-ha_ as she grabbed her black thigh-high stockings and putting them on along with a chain necklace that hung down to her waist with multiple charms, including a key, small clock, a replica of a knife, and a feather.

Her next order of business was grabbing her phone, an altered iPhone 7 that the tech. geniuses in the Creed had altered for their Assassins, and opened her Facebook app to scroll through her friend’s posts for the best party before sliding her window open and taking off in her second free run for the night.  The college party scene had become a part of her regular life when she moved into Creed Hall two years ago, causing nervousness until the other party goers found out the 16-year-old could easily keep up with them.  Ever since then she had become a bit of a regular.

“Hey!  [Y/N]’s here!” some guy [Y/N] _vaguely_ remembered making out with over the summer announced, and the announcement was quickly followed by cheers and a red solo cup of beer finding its way into her hand.  She chugged the first cup, she needed the buzz to help bury the memories she had made a point of burying back to the pit she had compartmentalized them into.  The loud music thumping through her body and the alcohol buzzing through her blood was starting to make things better.

She wasn’t sure why she _didn’t_ expect what happened next.

“Well hello love, welcome to the party,” Jacob greeted, draping his arm over [Y/N]’s shoulders with a grin.

“Please, Frye, the party didn’t start till I got here,” [Y/N] retorted, stepping away and turning to face Jacob as she bragged, “You heard how they cheered when I got here, I was hitting this scene in _high school_.”

“I take it your brother doesn’t know,” Jacob stated.

“No shit, he’d have a stroke and a heart attack at the same time,” [Y/N] snorted, “You’re not going to ask me questions about my _brother_ all night, are you?  Because I _distinctly_ remember you staring at my ass when I was stretching in the training room.”

“Oi, Arno’s just as guilty-“

“And stupid in love with a childhood friend of mine,” [Y/N] cut him off and pointed at the Brit with the hand that held her red Solo cup of beer as she added, “Which then makes _you_ the center of the story all over again.”

“Alright, I admit it,” Jacob replied awfully casual and _confidant_ for someone who was admitting to checking out an Assassin, let alone one that would soon be an even more constant fixture of his life, “I find you to be irresistibly beautiful.”

“Does that charm work on everybody?” [Y/N] questioned with a smirk, “Because without the accent that would have been the most pathetic thing I’ve ever heard.”

Jacob feigned offense as he over-dramatically placed his free hand over his heart and spoke, “You wound me my lady.”

[Y/N] couldn’t help but snort out her laughter, “I’m so _not_ a lady.”

Her laughter died down as Jacob stepped closer, a mere inch away from the smaller Assassin as he looked down into her eyes and even though he spoke quietly, [Y/N] could still hear him perfectly.  It was like the party around them faded into nothing but a dull backdrop surrounding them.  She found herself staring up into hazel eyes and a confidant smirk that even she had to admit were charming.  _Damn_ that man.

"Then perhaps we should leave before you do something you regret.”

“This is where the alcohol is,” [Y/N] held up her cup with mixed feelings.  Part of her, the logical part, wanted to maintain a distance.  She already had enough weaknesses that could be used against her, namely her brother, Arno, and Elise, but the youthful ignorance in her wanted nothing more than to accept the invitation.  It was risky becoming _this_ close to a colleague, let alone a partner in the field, and yet it seemed like an adventure she just _couldn’t_ turn down without a good reason.

Jacob’s smirk fell as he looked up, casually scanning his surroundings before he saw something that caused that infernal upward twitch of his lips to return.  He reached out and snatched a bottle from an unsuspecting passerby as they carried a box of liquor back to the table of alcohol fueling the party.  Before [Y/N] could say anything, Jacob grabbed her free hand and pulled her with him to the back door, slipping out of the party and tossing back the rest of his beer before throwing [Y/N] an inviting wink and making his way to the roof of the dorm.  She should have gone back inside but…

To hell with it.  She tossed back the rest of her beer before following suit, quickly catching up in time for Jacob to look back and make sure she was following as he made his way back through the city and right to the Harbor.  They stopped and [Y/N] waited patiently as Jacob looked left and right before casually making his way to a sailboat that could _not_ have been his.

“Do you know who this belongs to?” [Y/N] questioned as she took Jacob’s offered hand and stepped into what had to be the _gaudiest_ boat in the entire Boston Harbor.

"Not a clue, but I’m sure he won’t mind us drinking on it, as long as we don’t take it,” Jacob replied with a grin as he cracked the seal on the bottle of whiskey he had snatched from the party, taking a swig, and asking, “So how did you end up at the _prestigious_ Creed Hall?”

“I was recruited and trained by Achilles and Altair,” [Y/N] answered.  It was the truth, Altair had been with Connor when she turned herself in and Achilles took her under his wing and trained her with the Master Assassin.  There was no need for Jacob to know any more than that.  She took the bottle Jacob offered her and took a swig of her own before passing it back.

“That would do it,” Jacob admitted.  Both Achilles and Altair were legends within the Brotherhood, if they saw enough potential in someone to train them then, obviously, any students either Achilles or Altair had would be seen as the next best thing to hit the Brotherhood since, well, _them_.  Hell, she joined the team two years early, she _had_ to be good.

“What about you?  Hopefully something to do with the scars you’ve already picked up,” [Y/N] asked as she took the bottle again.

“It does, actually, both of them,” Jacob let out a half-hearted chuckle as he looked away, refusing to look up at [Y/N].  He should have known she would reply with that question, but he was grateful that she wasn’t nagging at him to answer.  She just sat there, patiently, waiting to see if he would answer or not.  He could probably get away without answering, but…he did it anyway.

“A year ago, I convinced my father to take me with him to London, and the damn fool listened,” Jacob admitted, losing the lackadaisical and confidant aura he always carried for a serious and quiet as he stared off into the distance of the harbor and quickly took the bottle and drank from it, not offering it back immediately, “One of the Templar’s hunters killed him because I fucked up, almost killed me.  I ignored my orders to return to Crawley and stayed in London to track the bastard and kill him.  Evie came to the city to bring me home, but stayed to help when she found out what I was doing.”

“You killed a _hunter?”_ [Y/N] had to admit, she was in shock.  She knew _all_ of the Assassin hunters, she had _been_ one of them, and there weren’t many.  They were the best agents the Templars had.  She was _dying_ to know who but she didn’t ask.  She just left things there, taking comfort in the fact that as reckless and careless as her new partner seemed he had the skills to take down some of the Templar’s most dangerous members when he put his mind to it.  She slid closer to Jacob, partially to give her new friend some comfort but also to help stave off the nightly chill and snatch the bottle of whiskey from her partner.

They just stayed like that the rest of the night, drinking, talking, and mostly laughing.  He was going to be a headache, a massive one, but [Y/N] already felt a bond forming with the other Assassin.

That was either very good, or very, _very_ bad.


End file.
